


Little Shadow

by SlytherinsIcePrine



Category: Glee
Genre: Badass Rachel Berry, Brittberry sisters, F/F, Mentioned Rachel Berry/Finn Hudson - Freeform, Pezberry Friendship, Rachel cares for the Unholy Trinity, Santana is actually a nice person, Slightly OC Rachel Berry
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-09
Updated: 2021-01-09
Packaged: 2021-03-13 17:34:10
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,945
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28657290
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SlytherinsIcePrine/pseuds/SlytherinsIcePrine
Summary: All Santana wanted to do that night was binge watch YouTube videos until she fell asleep.  Hurricane Rachel has other ideas...
Relationships: Rachel Berry/Quinn Fabray, Santana Lopez/Brittany S. Pierce
Comments: 7
Kudos: 71





	Little Shadow

**Author's Note:**

> Hello guys, gals, and non-binary pals!! Happy reading and Happy New Year (even if I am a little late :) )!
> 
> P.S. - I don't own Glee or any of the characters, I just enjoy playing around with them.

"I'm coming! Calm down!!"

Santana stormed down her stairs, grumbling under her breath at whoever was on the other side of her front door. It was nearly ten o'clock at night for fucks sake! Finally reaching the door, she yanked it open and wasn't even able to blink before she was being unceremoniously pushed out of the way by a small body. 

By the time she'd regained her senses, Santana could only stare as Rachel freakin' Berry speed up the stairs she'd just came down. 

"HELL NO! RUPAUL GET YOUR ASS BACK HERE!!" The Latina yelled, slamming her door shut and giving chase. 

Somehow knowing that the other girl was heading for her bedroom, Santana ran inside and was blind-sided by a small body tackling her onto her bed. Struggling valiantly, Santana was helpless when Rachel effectively pinned her down by straddling her stomach and pinning her arms with her knees. 

"The fuck? You're so dead!" She spat into the brunettes face. 

"Try me Satan,' Rachel smirked - honest to God smirked - from atop the Latina. 'Now why don't you lie still like a good little girl so that I can say what I need to."

"The fuck I will!"

"If you want Brittany you will."

The ultimatum hung heavily in the air between the two girls. Santana felt it nestle in her chest and lodge in her lungs; the mere thought of the bubbly blonde making her catch her breath. Ineffectively pushing against Rachel one more time, the cheerleader resigned herself too being trapped. 

"What about Brittany?"

"The two of you need to pull your heads out your asses! I know you don't like mushy stuff so here it is; you two are compatible, you'll never find anyone that gets you like Brittany does, the same goes for her. Consider this the shovel talk from Brittanys' pseudo big sister-' Rachel suddenly leant down until her nose was a hair away from Santanas', her voice dropping from concerned to downright murderous. '-If you hurt her one more time they'll never find your body. If she ends up in tears again because of you, I'll make Quinn look like a fucking child compared to what I'll do to you. Are we clear?"

The Latina was frozen, never having heard the divas voice drop so dangerously low with the snarl to go with it. Her mind was stuck on the fact that 'RACHEL BERRY MADE A SWEAR!' and it took her a few seconds to vigorously nod her head. 

As if flicking a switch, scary demon Rachel was again Broadway Rachel; the small brunette wiping out a wide, toothy smile and gracefully removing herself from atop the Latina. A small, tan hand shot out and the next thing Santana knew, the diva had pulled her upright on her bed. 

"I'm glad we understand each other Santana, I hope you have a pleasant rest of your evening," Rachel grinned innocently as she dropped the connection between the two. 

The tiny diva spun on her heel and almost skipped towards the partially closed door. Getting her first good look at the diva, Santana thought she was in some kind of alternate world as there was no way Rachel Berry owned a cut-off shirt, even if it was pale pink. 

"Hold it!" She exclaimed. 

Having not planned on leaving, Rachel calmly executed a 180 degree spun and allowed herself to lean against the door, her weight closing it fully, with the same innocent grin plastered across her face. Aware of Santanas' eyes falling shrewdly across her body, she shoved her hands into the pockets of her ripped dark wash blue boyfriend jeans and placed a booted foot against the door behind her, patiently awaiting the verdict. 

"I'm dreaming right?' Santana asked rhetorically. 'You don't have the balls to do what you just did."

"I assure you Santana, that when it comes to Brittany there isn't much I wouldn't do."

"Less of the snark Midget!" Santana growled. 

"Oh, I'm so scared,' Rachel taunted lightly. 'Come off it Santana, we're not at school."

Santana snarled and launched herself off her bed towards the infuriating diva, stopping only when her face was inches from Rachels'. Staring into gold shot onyx eyes, Santana had to give it to the singer; instead of retreating, Rachel had pushed off the wall and stepped up to her, arms now tensed by her sides with a smirk playing with full lips. 

"Alright Berry, I'll bite. If you tell me why you had the balls to assault me in my own home, I'll be nice."

"Artie called Brittany stupid."

There was a second of dark silence before Rachel began moving. Staring into almost glowing chocolate eyes, she saw the fury building within and immediately reacted, her hands reaching for slim hips as Santana stepped forward. Using the step to her advantage, Rachel moved to the side and pulled sharply on the hips beneath her hands, putting Santana off balance and spinning the Latina so her back was to her front. Using the momentum of the spin, Rachel wrapped her arms around the Latinas' waist and fell backwards, using her own body to cushion the fall and immediately wrapping her strong thighs around Santanas' flailing legs. 

"Let me go Berry! He's a dead man!"

"Don't make me pin you again Satan,' Rachel grunted as Santana lurched again. 'Brittany's okay, I stayed with her till she fell asleep then I came here. Between the two of us, we can get him."

Santana groaned as she again found herself victim to Rachels hold. 

"How the fuck are you so freakishly strong?' Santana snapped pitifully. 'I'm a base cheerleader for fucks sake!"

Out of all the answers Santana expected, Rachel loudly laughing in her ear was not one of them. Somewhere in the back of her mind, Santana noticed that this wasn't the laugh she was used to escaping the small diva; this was louder, less refined. 

"You may be a cheerleader Satan, but I'm the gay daughter of two men in Ohio, one of whom is black. I've been a black belt in Tae-Kwon Do since I was 13, you do the math,' Rachel cackled freely. 'Can I trust you and let you go now?"

Santana nodded numbly, her mind once again stuck on the new aspect of Rachel Berry she'd just been notified of. The tiny diva, gay? The world must be ending. 

"Where's this Rachel when we're in school huh?"

"We don't have to do this ya know? Talk,' Rachel frowned slightly. 'We're not friends, I'm here for Brittany and you can't stand me."

Rolling out of Rachels' now loose hold Santana spun on her knees to face the diva who slowly sat up, one leg out stretched and the other bent to provide a resting place for one of Rachels' elbows. The cheerleader nodded slightly in agreement but held up a hand to halt whatever tirade Rachel was about to go on. 

Thinking over the best ten minutes, Santana realised that everything she thought she'd known about the diva had been completely destroyed by the aggressive and, dare she say it, sexy, figure sitting on her light grey carpet. In a moment of horrifying clarity, Santana looked into onyx eyes and saw the same pain and secrets she saw every time she looked in a mirror; the same fear that caused Quinns' smile to flatten into a snarl at school; the shame when Brittany acted like she wasn't one of the smartest in the room. 

"I think...' Santana trailed off, allowing her tightly constructed walls to fall slightly in a way she associates with Brittany. 'I think that the Unholy Trinity aren't the only ones that deploy masks at school. And anyone that has the balls to physically attack me for the sake of Brittanys' honour is alright in my book. How about it Tiny?"

In a move that Santana will vehmenantly deny when asked about this moment, the Latina leant forward and held her hand out to the Diva. Onyx eyes darted between Santanas' face and her outstretched hand for almost a minute before Rachel tentatively reached out and shook it. 

"Welcome to the Unholy family Tiny, we have snacks and hot girls. Enjoy."

Rachel stared at Sanatas' playful smile for a few seconds before losing herself in a fit of laughter, toppling backwards and holding her heaving stomach. Santana was floored by the change that seemed to be going on in front of her. All the tension in Rachels' muscles seemed to disappear as she laughed, making her seem freer. 

Pearly white teeth bit into full lips as the diva tried to contain her laughter and sit upright again, the movement drawing Santanas' gaze to the solid muscle on Rachels' arm flexing under her weight. Looking back up, Santana was struck by the soft, hopeful smile pulling across Rachels' face; if she wasn't madly in love with Britt, she'd happily go after this Rachel. 

"I feel like this is the start of a beautiful friendship Satan," Rachel giggled. 

"Yeah yeah, don't go mushy on my now Tiny,' Santana dismissed easily. 'Now spill, how long have you been a fan of sweet lady kisses?"

"Since always,' Rachel shrugged. 'If we're doing this can we at least get off the floor?"

Without waiting for an answer, Rachel fluidly rose from the floor, kicked off her combat boots and reclined on Santanas' bed with a happy sigh. Lifting an eyebrow at the balls of the diva, Santana copied the movement, only sitting back against the footboard opposite the singer. 

"Then what about Finnept? Always stealing him from Quinn?"

"Is it really stealing if he came willingly? He was the one always coming on to me, not the other way round. I've never been interested in him, the idea of him maybe, but there was never any feelings involved with Hudson. He was a, means to an end, you could say,' Rachel explained with a dismissive wave of her hand. 'I only dated him to keep him away from Quinn."

"What?" Santana sputtered. 

Rachels eyes burned gold as she looked at Santana fiercely. 

"He's not good for her, never has been. All he does is hurt her, she gets enough of that without him. She's getting out of here, the four of us are, no matter what delusions are forced down her throat by the fucktards calling themselves her parents. She doesn't need him weighing her down, so I try and keep him away from her; simple."

Santana felt her jaw drop at the rambling diva; no-one but Quinn and Brittany had so outwardly proclaimed she would make it out of Lima, so hearing it from her former target was a shock to the system. Then she really thought about what had just been said and almost choked on her own saliva. 

"HOLY SHIT!! You're gay for Fabray!!" She exclaimed. 

"I guess we both have a thing for blondes,' Rachel confirmed. 'Any more questions?"

Narrowing her eyes at the diva, Santana noticed the pleading glint in onyx eyes and swallowed the remark on the tip of her tongue. 

"We're so talking about your hard on for Q later Tiny. What's with the clothes? Why don't you dress like this at school?"

"I get slushied three times a day Satan-' Rachel rolled her eyes '-I'm not going to wear good clothes if they're only going to get destroyed. Next question."

Santana looked away, consumed with guilt at the many slushies she herself had thrown the divas way over the past three years. 

"Hey, look at me Santana,' Rachel ordered gently, waiting until the Latina made eye contact before resuming. 'Clean slate, for Brittany, alright? I'm not saying what you did was right, but I understand you're angry. You take it out on me, I pay to punch people, we both feel better afterwards. Next question."

"Brittany?"

"Grew up together,' Rachel smiled nervously. 'Attended the same dance classes and I help tutor her sometimes."

Santana shuffled forward slightly, crossing her legs and leaning towards the still reclining singer, not even attempting to hide her confusion. 

"So why don't you act like it?"

"She wanted to be a cheerleader, I'm the child of sinners. I refused to be the one that hurt her chances of getting on the Cheerios'. Dancing is her way out of here as much as my voice is mine. She's my Ducky, I could take the bullying as long as she was happy."

The Latina swallowed harshly at the simpleness of the explanation and the loyalty Rachel held towards Brittany. If she hadn't been aware of Rachels' feelings for Quinn, Santana knew she would've been insanely jealous of the open affection in Rachels' eyes when she spoke of Brittany. But as it was, she could see it was the love one showed a sibling. 

"She never mentions you, Brittany always talks about her friends," Santana argued. 

"I can guarantee she does-' Rachels' frown suddenly became a sly smirk. '-but she calls me Little Shadow, because I remind her of a ninja."

"Pequeña sombre? I always thought you were her imaginary friend," Santana chuckled sheepishly. 

Rachel shook her head happily, pulling her mahogany hair from its restraining ponytail as she did so and causing it to float around her shoulders. The Latina was struck then with just how beautiful Rachel actually was with a real smile gracing her face. 

"You could rule the school Rachel, easily. Why have you let us get away with what we've done to you?"

"I don't need to, you and Quinn do,' Rachel replied simply. 'It's expected for the two of you to be at the apex of the food chain, all my parents expect of me is to sing my scrappy little heart out as long as I'm happy.

"It was mostly for Brittany though. The three of you are a package deal, she loves you two, and making you happy made her happy so it was easy really."

"You're something else Tiny,' Santana breathed in awe. 'One more thing. Ducky, Satan, do you have a name for Quinn?"

Again Santana witness Rachel change as School Rachel appeared in the curling of her shoulders and the lowering of her cinnamon eyes. Tan hands began clenching and unclenching in her pale pink shirt. 

"I-uh... what? No. I don't-"

"Don't kill yourself Tiny,' Santana interrupted, not unkindly. 'I know you have one, I bet it's all cutesy right?"

"...Maybe...? Fine... I call her, Alice, in my head...' Rachel mumbled. 'She just, reminds me so much of Alice in Wonderland; discovering where she fits in a crazy world, smart and blonde with her beautiful summer dresses."

Santana was hit with the sudden image of the four of them underneath a great tree. Her and Rachel sitting next to each other against the trunk with their blondes curled up between their legs, holding a 'Alice in Wonderland' open together for Rachel to read. The wind mixed with Rachels' low, dramatic voice as she breathed life into the pages for the two blondes, her head falling onto Santanas' shoulder in contentment. 

Rachel would be good for Quinn, for all of them. 

Needing some space from the suddenness of the changes that have happened over the past half hour, Santana jumed from the bed and heads for the keyboard sitting in the corner. Not hearing any indication of Rachel moving from her position, the Latina begins pressing the keys, thanking her parents constant night shifts at the hospital. 

For ten minutes Santana plays, not sticking to anything specific, just letting the notes infuse the room as she processed everything that had happened. It was the soft snore that sounded in a small pause of her playing that broke Santana from her revere and had her spinning on her chair. 

Rachel had fallen sideways, mahogany hair spilling across a red pillowcase in her sleep. She was on her side, facing Santana with a serene smile playing across her lips and her legs slightly curled up beneath her. One hand was outstretched over the edge of the bed, as if she'd fallen asleep playing along with the Latina. 

Santana frowned at how, innocent, Rachel looked in that moment. She didn't deserve anything that happened to her, done nothing apart from exist in a world stacked against her from birth. It struck her then, as Rachel sighed softly and nuzzled the pillow slightly, that for as much as things had changed for her, Rachels' life had just changed. 

She'd threatened Santana Lopez, shown a side of herself previously only known to herself to her biggest tormentor, and then became tentative friends with said tormentor. On top of that she'd came out at great personal risk, admitted to liking the President of the Celibacy Club, forgave three years of bullying - to an extent - and answered all the questions Santana had asked of her. 

That would be enough to exhaust anyone, never mind someone who'd spent countless hours consoling a crying Brittany. Thinking of her bubbly blonde seeking comfort in the tiny diva before her settled something within Santana, and she vowed to herself that she would be there for Rachel as a thank you for being there for Britt. 

Rising from her stool, the Latina gently pulled the duvet from under the sleeping diva and covered her with it. Rachel barely stirred, just murmured happily and nuzzled the pillow beneath her head. In a moment of maternal instinct, Santana brushed a strand of hair away from Rachels' eyes before walking to the other side of her bed and gently laying down. 

The last thing she was aware of was a small hand wrapping around her wrist.


End file.
